To the Editor:
I have been reading with interest the series of letters to the editor and the mailing to all Easton residents by the Citizens for Responsible Government regarding a number of issues but seem to be especially focused on the issue of racism in Easton. The mailing says “Just a year ago, systemic racism was not an issue or even a topic of discussion in our town or our schools.”
Just because racism is not discussed does not mean it does not exist. I applaud the Board of Education, our superintendent and the Board of Selectman for recognizing this issue and realizing it should be discussed in our schools.
Our family has lived in Easton since 1986. One of the reasons we chose Easton was because of the great school system and the friendliness of the town. In 1993 there was a very ugly anti-Semitic incident here. A local organization scheduled the annual Colonial Easton Day on Yom Kippur.
When a number of the Jewish families complained that the Jewish community would not be able to participate and suggested that the date be changed, a board member from the organization was quoted in the Easton Courier as follows:
“All the board members are Christian, and we are not going to plan something on a day when we can’t go. If Jewish residents want to come down and get on the board, they’re more than welcome — but that’s not their kind of thing because there’s no financial gain in it.”
The point of this story is that just because racism is not obvious does not mean it does not exist. As responsible parents, grandparents and citizens we should support all efforts to educate our children on this sensitive but very ugly topic.
Bob Natt
Easton
